《My New Bestie is the Devil!?》 Prologue Sara stood atop the old steeple, one foot planted, the other dangling as she held fast to the steeple''s cross. Her jersey with the wing decals moved with the gentle wind. Her baseball cap, worn backwards, sported a golden ellipse. Her long dirty blonde hair waved in the breeze. The night was incredibly dark, with but the tiniest crescent of the moon aglow. The silhouette of the surrounding hills was barely discernable against the clear, dark sky. Yes, this was a night for stargazing, the whole milky way visible and beautiful, except for one thing. She looked with disgust towards the eyesore that was the D. A. Emon research and development lab, it''s various lights polluting the view even from half a mile away. It was so out of place. This was Plowshare, a quaint farming town known for its high quality harvests and friendly folk. why would they put a lab here? It was surrounded by an ugly fence, electrified and lined with consertine wire. Few were ever admitted inside. Sometimes days passed without a single soul entering or leaving. Frankly, the place creeped Sara out. A sharp crack like thunder ripped through the night, startling Sara. What was that? It echoed through the quiet darkness, and it was difficult to discern where it came from. There was a second sounding which drew Sara''s attention back towards the lab where she saw flashes of light. There were voices too, barely audible at this distance. Should I check it out? Sara lept deftly down from the church roof, landing safely. She grabbed her bookbag and her wooden baseball bat, then started running towards the lab grounds at a speed an Olympic runner would envy. That had to be firearms I heard. Guns are common in this country place. Maybe someone was just shooting at a varmint? Only one way to find out. Sara arrived at the fence and saw a grisly scene. A thin woman in a lab coat, a bundle in her arms, wasrunning along the fence, two security guards pursuing her with pistols. She was straining to carry the weight of the duffle bag size bundle. Another shot rang out. The bullet struck the woman''s back. She fell forward, losing her grip on her bundle, which rolled near to where Sara was watching. One of the guards ran to the prone woman laying in the grass. He stepped on her back. "Thought you''d get away with company property, huh?" Sara let out an involuntary gasp, and the guard noticed her. "Get lost, kid!" he yelled coldly. The other guard soon caught up to the first. "If you know what''s good for you, you''ll forget what you''ve seen here," he said in a threatening tone, but Sara didn''t move. "Forget her," the first guard said. The woman moaned in pain as he put his weight onto her wounded back. "I''m curious what was so important to smuggle out that this woman would risk her life for." The bundle had started unraveling. A hand was exposed. The bundle was a person! The second guard kicked the bundle, and it came unwrapped, revealing an adolescent sized being. It''s skin was mostly black with mottled pink patches. It had two small horns atop it''s head, a stub of a tail, and tattered wings like a bat might have. "What is this? Some kind of freak?" The guard rolled the being over with the toe of his boot. The pitiful creature tried to move, but was too weak. "Whatever, let''s get this thing back inside." The woman, mortally wounded, looked up, noticing Sara. Their eyes met, then the woman laid her head down, and moved no more. But Sara saw the woman''s final prayer in her dying eyes. Save her! Sara decided to answer that prayer. She dropped her bag and pulled a baseball out of her shorts'' cargo pocket. "You''re still here? Go away before you get hurt!" Sara''s eyes narrowed and a confident smirk played across her lips. She tossed the baseball upward. Crack! The sound of the bat contacting the ball echoed through the chilly night. The ball pierced through the metal fence as though it wasn''t there, and one guard fell, his skull shattered. The other guard raised his pistol. "What the fuck!" Crack! The bat resounded once more, and that guards skull exploded, too. Sara then struck the fence, and a portion of it fell sending sparks in every direction. She gathered up the blanket and lifted the frail being from the ground. Sara wasn''t much bigger than this being, and it was with some difficulty that she stood, but she was determined. The air around Sara began to glow and shimmer as her clothes melted into a robe of light. A large set of feathery wings extended from her shoulder blades. Smaller wings appeared on her ankles and just above her ears. A luminous ring orbited her head, and her glow became more and more intense. She, her bag and bat started to levitate. For a moment, the area was as brilliant as the noonday sun.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And then it wasn''t. * * * "Investigators are still baffled by the events at the D. A. Emon lab in Plowshare, last night. There were no reports of explosions, only a brilliant light, but the site looked like a bomb went off, investigators said. There were charred remains of three victims, and melted slag where there was once steel fences. Investigators could find no ignition point or any sign of accelerant to explain what had caused the damage. At a press release earlier today, an Emon representative said it was a tragic accident involving proprietary technology. He named the victims and extended the company''s condolences to three families. He then reported the accident set back the schedule on many new products that were supposed to be available soon, and the lab would be taken out of operation indefinitely, which was quickly followed by a dive in market share prices for D. A. Emon and affiliates. Police are said to be attempting to secure a search warrant to better understand the events, but no judge has granted one, citing that the event took place outside the facility. There are rumors the judges are in Emon''s pockets, but these speculations have so far proven to be unsubstantiated." * * * The screen went black, and Dr. Gilead tossed the remote onto hits desk. The news was no surprise to him. Late last night, Sara had showed up at his clinic door carrying a mysterious person. The poor creature was in an incredibly bad state. He had stayed up the rest of the night monitoring her, and Sara had gone to do her own thing. The sun had just started to rise when a familiar voice called out through the door. "Dr. G!" The door opened, and Sara entered, energetic as always. "How''s the patient?" "Good morning, Sara. She''s stable, but is still pretty close to dead. I''m amazed she lasted the night." "So she''sa girl. Neat! Why is the light on in there? Wouldn''t she rest better in the dark? " "Well, she hasn''t regained consciousness, but even unconscious she seems distressed by the dark, so I left it on. " "You poor girl. I won''t let you die. You hear me in there! " Sara spoke loudly. "Now who''s making it hard to rest? " "Oops! My bad. Anyway, I looked through that bloody notebook we found wrapped up with her. Most of it is unreadable, but I was able to make out that it belongs to an intern working at the lab. From what I could make out, she discovered they were harvesting materials from her body!" she said, gesturing to the exam room. "That''s terrible! " "I know, right? By the way, I think we need to decide on something to call her, at least until she is able to give us her name. I hate just calling her she all the time." "Fair enough. any ideas? " Sara held up the bloody notebook. Much of the cover was obscured by the blood, but some words were visible. May-Fe Steph Ellis "May-fee Steph Ellis!" Gilead groaned a bit, but knew better than to try to change Sara''s mind. "I guess that works. " They had also found a handmade doll in May-fee''s blanket. It had been soaked in blood too. Sara pulled it out of her bag. "I managed to get most of the blood out of this. It''s pretty cute." The doll was made of cloth, had yarn pigtails, and wore a simple dress. it''s limbs were simple and rounded at the ends. "I wonder who made it? Hey, were you able to tell if she''s an angel, Doc?" Well, she shares about 95% of her DNA with humans, but the other 5% makes her pretty different. I think maybe she has some devil in her." "How mysterious! I can''t wait to get to know her. " Sara walked over to the bed. "We''re gonna be best friends, you and I." May-fee''s eyelid fluttered. "I think she''s waking up." Sara leaned over, her face near May-fee. An eyelid opened half way, revealing a red iris. She stirred. "Anna?" He voice was weak. "Anna? " There was a hint of desperation. "Is Anna this doll''s name? Here you go. " Sara placed the doll on May-fee''s chest Apparently satisfied, May-fee sighed, her head rolled to one side, and a tear ran down to the pillow. She was asleep again. Gilead came in the exam room. "That''s a good sign. she seems more relaxed, now. " "That doll must be pretty important to her. " "Indeed. Let''s leave her be to rest now. " "Sure thing, Doc. I gotta get to school anyway. Take care of my new best friend, ok?" "You can leave it to me. " * * * After school, Sara quickly returned to the clinic. She entered and called out, "Doctor G?" "In here", he answered. Sara smiled when she entered the exam room. May-fee was sitting up, nibbling on a rice cake. Her pink patches were smaller, covered anew with dark scales. Anna was propped up by the pillow beside her. Gilead was sitting by the bed. Sara hopped onto the bed, knees first, her face near the other girl''s. May-fee blinked. "Good morning, bestie!" "Um...hello... art thou Sara, she that deliverdest me from mine peril?" "Deliver what? Like a pizza? " "Her language skills are pretty archaic. She asked if you are the one that saved her," the doctor chimed in. "Oh! Well, you could say that. I brought you here." May-fee placed the fingers of one hand near her chin, then made a quarter circle motion until her palm was showing. Sara smiled and took the hand, and May-fee acted surprised. "She also knows sign language. That gesture was a thank you." "Yay, I knew you would be an interesting person." May-fee wasnt sure what to do. "Do you have a name?" Sara asked. "I knoweth naught." "Where are you from? What kind of being are you?" "I knoweth naught" "Well, don''t worry. I have a name for you, until you remember your real name. May-fee Steph Ellis. It was on your notebook. Is that OK? " "It will do." "As for what kind of being you are, you''re friend, now, and that''s all that matters." Sara''s face beamed. "If thou sayest." Sara gave May-fee a hug taking her by surprise. "Oh, I''m sorry." Sara said, releasing her. "Didn''t mean to startle you. "She''s a little wary of physical contact, it seems. Give it time Sara. I''ve got a house call to make. I''ll leave you two to get acquainted." Gilead stood. "Thanks, doc! By the way, have you. . . ?" "I haven''t reported this to anyone." He winked. "Good, I''m glad. I can only imagine how coldly they would examine her." Gilead nodded, and left the room. She turned back to May-fee. "I''m gonna call you Mae-mae for short!" "Another name?" May-fee asked incredulously. Chapter 1: What鈥檚 a slut? Sara knocked on the door. ¡°May-fee! Time to get up.¡± She knocked again. ¡°Mae-mae?¡± ¡°Go away,¡± was the response through the wall. ¡°We gotta go to school!¡± ¡°Go by yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡± Sara opened the door and stepped inside. Her breath caught in her throat. May-fee was laying on top of her covers, limbs sprawled in all directions, nude. Sara was impressed with her figure. She didn¡¯t have so much as half a gram of fat. Every one of her muscles was toned and well defined. And her breasts, nice sized for her frame, were attractively shaped. Sara shook her head. Bad Sara! We got to go! By the time Sara regained her composure, May-fee was breathing the gentle rhythm of sleep again. Oh, you! Sara, who learned May-fee was not a morning person in the last six months, took an air horn from her bag and jumped on the bed with her knees, straddling May-fee¡¯s torso. She put it near her nose and pushed the button. The sound startled May-fee whose red irised eyes opened wide. She arched her back but couldn¡¯t buck Sara off. ¡°You meanie!¡± she exclaimed, beating Sara¡¯s chest with the bottoms of her fists. After a few seconds, May-fee dropped her arms and lay her head back down. ¡°Why are you blushing, Sara?¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m not! It¡¯s just the exertion of getting your lazy ass out of bed!¡± Sara rolled off the bed, embarrassed. Am I really blushing? ¡°Just get dressed, already.¡± ¡°Fiiine.¡± May-fee stood up, folded her wings against her back, and went to the closet. As she chose an outfit, her wings and tail melded with her body, her black scales turning transparent, showing the pink skin beneath, and her horns became two tufts of hair held in place with barrettes. She put a bra on, then slipped into a one piece dress, cinched at the waist with a chain belt. It was white with purple accents. The lapels had an appearance similar to bat wings. She tied one large red ribbon around her collar, and tied another to her left leg just above her sock. Finally, she stepped into her maryjanes.¡±Happy now? ¡° Sara smiled. ¡°You look great! Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What about breakfast?¡± ¡°You slept too long for breakfast.¡± May-fee sighed, and grabbed her backpack. She attached Anna to the strap. ¡°Whatever.¡± The two of them walked down the stairs to the main floor. There were some bagels sitting on the kitchen counter. ¡°Yes! Teresa come through again.¡± She grabbed a bagel then followed Sara out the door. ¡°This is going to be so fun,¡± Sara said as they walked. May-fee did not respond as her mouth was full of bagel. ¡°You¡¯re gonna love it.¡± They walked a couple minutes in silence while May-fee finished her bagel. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re ready for this. We taught you everything you need to get along at school. You¡¯ve even mostly broken the habit of speaking in that archaic way. You¡¯ll be a hit, I just know it.¡± They walked and chatted for a bit, then they were approached by a chubby boy that looked about 13 years old. ¡°Hello, Sara,¡± he said. ¡°Is this your new friend you were telling me about?¡± ¡°Oh, hey there, Cherry. Yes, this is May-fee, but we are running late. ¡° ¡°Nice to meet you, May-fee.¡± He offered his hand, but May-fee didn¡¯t take it. Looking a bit offended, he continued, ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re gonna be even later. We have a mission.¡± ¡°What? No! I have to help Mae-fee today. It¡¯s her first day at school.¡± ¡°We gotta nip this one in the bud, Sara. Some dumb kids let it in with a spirit board.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you handle it? ¡° she sighed. ¡°Damn, I guess not. ¡° She faced Mayfee, holding her upper arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mae-mae. I have to go to work. It¡¯s my duty as a guardian angel. ¡° ¡°I¡¯ll go with you! ¡° ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. If you go, I won¡¯t be able to focus. ¡° ¡°I can take care of myself. Let¡¯s go together. ¡° ¡°Not this time. Please, I won¡¯t be long. Go on to school. It¡¯s a couple blocks that way. Look for room 117.¡± ¡°I want to help too!¡± ¡°May-fee! I¡¯ll be OK, but if something happens to you, I won¡¯t be. Give it a little time, I¡¯ll teach you, then we can go together. But not today, ok?¡± May-fee frowned, but nodded. ¡°Thanks, hon. Let¡¯s go, Cherry,¡± The two took off running. May-fee stuck her tongue out at their backs, then continued down the sidewalk. She heard the chiming of a big clock and picked up her pace. It wasn¡¯t long before she saw a 3 story brick building with a clock tower. A sign said, Welcome to Paradise Middle School, home of the Serpents. A couple kids ran through the double doors at the entrance. Must be the place. Then she felt something land on her shoulder. She touched it. Bird poop? Seriously? How irritating! She went into the school, but instead of looking for 117, she looked for a restroom. It didn¡¯t take long to find it, thankfully, since the halls were empty. She went inside, and saw another girl was in there already. Her skirt was lifted, and one foot up on the sink. in the mirror, May-fee could see the girl had some bruises and lacerations on her thigh. She was trying to apply some ointment, but stopped when she saw May-fee in the mirror. ¡°Are you ok?¡± The girl put her foot down, let her skirt fall, and turned around. She was wearing a frilly, long sleeved Lolita style dress. It was white and decorated with black ribbons. The girl¡¯s fine red hair was tied up with black ribbons as well. The skirt covered her legs to the ankles. May-fee couldn¡¯t decide if the dress was half a size too big or the girl was half a size too small. She was very thin. She didn¡¯t get long to think about it. ¡°You saw! ¡° The girl spat as she walked up to May-fee and grabbed the front of her dress. she pulled on it, bringing May-fee¡¯s face closer. May-fee could feel the latch of her bra break. ¡°Listen, I am fine.¡± Her voice was low but threatening. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone what you saw. It¡¯s not their business, and it isn¡¯t yours!¡± Taken aback, May-fee had no response. ¡°Got it? Keep it to yourself, or else!¡± The girl let go of May-fee¡¯s clothes and shoved her way past to the door. May-fee leaned back against the wall. What was that about? She collected herself, cleaned off the poop as best as she could at the sink, and straightened up her clothes. Her bra was broken, so she took it off. Great, now I¡¯m super late.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! A few minutes later, she stood in front of the closed door numbered 117. She took a deep breath then opened the door. The teacher said, ¡°Well what do we have here? Truant number 2? We¡¯ll don¡¯t just stand there, come in.¡± May-fee did just that. ¡°You must be the new kid I¡¯ve been waiting to meet.¡± He chuckled good-naturedly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce yourself? ¡° ¡°Ok. Everyone, I am May-fee.¡± She looked around at everyone, and saw the red headed girl sitting in the back. The kids started whispering. ¡°Hey, she¡¯s cute. I wonder if she has a boyfriend. ¡° ¡°What¡¯s with that hair? is she trying to be a cat?¡± ¡°That doll is adorable. ¡° The red head just glared. ¡°Class, quiet down. you can get acquainted at lunch. I¡¯m mr. Pliney. Please have a seat.¡± The only open desk was beside the redhead. ¡°Nicci won¡¯t bite. I think. Go on.¡± But the bell rang. ¡°Then again, class dismissed! ¡° Some of the students greeted May-fee as they left, but Nicci passed without a word. After the class cleared out, May-fee shrugged, and went to find her next class. She was on time for the next class, and she was able to introduce herself with everyone else. When the bell rang for lunch, though, she found herself surrounded by several girls. ¡°Where are you from? ¡° ¡°Did you make that doll? ¡° ¡°You should join cheerleading.¡± Questions and comments came rapid fire, and May-fee felt a bit overwhelmed, when a boy approached the gaggle. He was athletic in appearance and dress, with platinum hair and blue eyes. ¡°No, Faust!¡± One of the girls spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s ours, you can¡¯t have her.¡± ¡° What a shame, ¡° he replied, smilinb ¡°But it¡¯s just a matter of time; we¡¯ll get to talk.¡± He winked at May-fee then left. ¡°That cocky bastard. I¡¯d hate him if he weren¡¯t so damn good looking,¡± one girl said. ¡°Want to have lunch with us? ¡° ¡°I guess, ¡° May-fee replied, but she was starting to worry about Sara. ¡°I need to make a call first. ¡° She got out her cell phone. ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll meet you at the lunch room.¡± The girls left as a group. May-fee tried to call Sara but it went to voice mail. She texted, asking Sara if she was OK, then headed to the cafeteria. Why are all the boys looking at me? She stood in line for her tray. When she had it, the girls from earlier called out to her. ¡°Over here, May-fee!¡± When May-fee joined them, one of the girls asked, ¡°You¡¯re not really going to eat that, are you?¡± The girl that spoke had short brown hair with pink highlights and brown eyes. She wore a yellow spaghetti strap top and tight black denim jeans. ¡°You¡¯re so slim. Don¡¯t ruin it with school food,¡± Another girl said. She was brunette, medium length, with brown eyes. She wore a blue sun dress. May-fee shrugged and moved the tray to the side for the moment. The third girl had wavy blonde hair in a pony tail and green eyes. She wore a pink tank top and denim shorts. She said, ¡°I¡¯m Katherine, and these are my Angels, Brigitte and Lori. We think you¡¯ll be a good addition to our group.¡± The other two girls nodded in agreement. ¡°We only accept the best, and you are gorgeous.¡± ¡°Kathy doesn¡¯t ask just anyone,¡± Brigitte said. ¡°We¡¯re very exclusive. And every girl in school wishes they were one of us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be invited,¡± Lori added. ¡°We have some rules, though,¡± Kathy continued. ¡°If you join us, you have to maintain a BMI of less than two percent. You seem to have that down already. Then, there is your dress. What brand is it?¡± ¡°I made it myself,¡± May-fee answered. ¡°Do you like it? ¡° ¡°It¡¯s cute, but in this group we only wear name brand clothes. We must always be on the cutting edge of fashion. It¡¯ll have to go. ¡° ¡°I see, ¡° May-fee replied, looking a bit perturbed. ¡°Rule three is easy. I¡¯m in charge. ¡° ¡°Ok, so, what exactly does this group do? What is its purpose? ¡° ¡°We look amazing, ¡° Brigitte chimed in. ¡°And we basically run the school. Even the teachers respect us. ¡° ¡°We set a high standard for the lesser girls to aspire to,¡±Lori added. ¡°And we own the boys.¡± She chuckled. ¡°So what do you think, May-fee? Naturally, you¡¯ll accept,¡± Kathy concluded. May-fee said, ¡°Even your vanity is vain.¡± Looking puzzled, Kathy asked, ¡°What do you mean? ¡° May-fee stood up and picked up her tray. ¡°It means you¡¯re dumb!¡± A sudden quiet filled the cafeteria. A couple whispers could be heard. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Did new girl just dis Kathy? ¡° Kathy was silent for a moment, trembling in anger, then yelled, ¡°No one talks to me like that! ¡° She stood, slapping the table with her palm. ¡°No one!¡± She grabbed her water bottle, squeezed it and splashed May-fee¡¯s face, chest, and tray. May-fee¡¯s only response was, ¡°How childish.¡± She turned to walk to another table. ¡°You dare turn your back on me? You¡¯re going to regret this, May-fee! ¡° But May-fee did not reply. ¡°And put a bra on, you slut!¡± When May-fee say down at another table, she was almost instantly surrounded by girls. ¡°That was awesome! ¡° ¡°Here, let me help you dry off.¡± ¡°You can have my lunch, since yours is wet. ¡° ¡°I¡¯m gonna be president of your fan club, ¡®k?¡± ¡°Can I be your angel?¡± ¡°Wanna go bra shopping later?¡± May-fee ignored them and checked her phone. There was a text from Sara. ¡°At the Balm. See you at the dorm later.¡± May-fee was relieved to hear from her, but was a little concerned she was at the clinic. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing serious, or she would have said so. Lunch time was soon over. One of the girls took May-fee¡¯s tray and the others dispersed to their respective classes. May-fee did the same. *** At the end of the school day, after May-fee made it through her fans, she started walking home when she heard a voice call out to her. ¡°May-fee! Wait up a sec!¡° She turned to see who it was. It was Faust. He jogged up to her with a smile but when he got close, he turned his gaze away. ¡°Is something wrong? ¡° May-fee queried. ¡°Why won¡¯t you look at me?¡° ¡°Nothing is wrong, per se. It¡¯s just . . .¡± ¡°Just what? ¡° ¡°Well, I mean there is your . . . and I¡¯m trying to be a gentleman.¡± ¡°There is my what?¡° His voice dropped to a whisper. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing a bra.¡° His face was beet red. ¡°Is that really a problem? ¡° ¡°Well, again, not per se. . . .¡± ¡°Boys are weird. What did you want, anyway? ¡° ¡°Um, can I walk you home? ¡° ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t pull any punches.¡° Faust chuckled nervously. ¡°I just want to get to know you a little.¡° ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you look at me?¡° Attempting to change the subject, he asked, ¡°Can I carry your bag for you? ¡° ¡°I guess that is ok.¡± She handed him her bag. ¡°What a weird request.¡° They started walking. Before Faust could start a new conversation, there was the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. It was Nicci. She paused by May-fee and said, ¡°Kudos,¡± then walked away just as briskly. ¡°Nicci noticed somebody? No way,¡° Faust teased. In return, Nicci flipped him off and kept going. ¡°Oh, well, anyway . . . .¡± They started walking again. ¡°Do you have any hobbies?¡± May-fee answered, ¡°I like sewing, knitting, that kind of thing.¡° ¡°Oh, neat. Did you make that doll?¡° ¡°Anna was a gift. Isn¡¯t she the cutest? ¡° May-fee smiled a little. ¡°I can agree with that. What kinds of things have you made? ¡° ¡°Well, this dress for one.¡° ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying, you look really pretty in it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like hearing that from someone who won¡¯t look at me.¡± Faust was at a loss, but May-fee continued. ¡°I knitted a scarf and a hat, too. Sara said I¡¯d need them soon.¡° ¡°Yeah, Autumn is just around the corner. Do you like autumn? ¡° ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet.¡° ¡°Yet?¡± Faust was a bit puzzled. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t remember, anyway.¡± ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll like it. The trees all get really colorful. I bet your scarf is colorful, too.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡° They continued to have a pleasant conversation until they reached the dorm. ¡°Well, I¡¯m home.¡° She turned her back to the door to look at Faust. Sara came through the door as they were talking, and glomped May-fee from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have a boyfriend already,¡° she teased. Her forearm brushed against May-fee¡¯s chest. ¡°Um, Mae-mae, where¡¯s your bra?¡° ¡°Why is everyone so obsessed about my bra?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain a little later.¡° Sara glared at Faust. ¡°I didn¡¯t look, I swear!¡° ¡°It¡¯s true, he just refuses to look at me.¡° ¡°Good boy, ¡° Sara praised. ¡°Now go home.¡° ¡°Yes ma¡¯am! Have a good night, May-fee. See you at school.¡± He handed May-fee¡¯s bag to her, then waved and took off. ¡°Let¡¯s get you inside.¡° Sara gently prodded May-fee to enter the door. ¡°Sara?¡± ¡°Yes, hon?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a slut?¡± (New) Chapter 2: The Book of Valhalla After doing homework and having dinner together, May-fee and Sara each went to their rooms. May-fee took her clothes off, shifted into her true form, and put on her nightgown. Then, she sat on the edge of the bed, holding Anna up in front of her. ¡°This was an eventful day, don¡¯t you think?¡± she asked the doll. ¡°Yes, mama,¡± the doll replied. Hearing Anna speak startled May-fee and she dropped the doll on the floor. ¡°Ouch!¡± May-fee poked her gently with one of her talons. ¡°That tickles, mama. Can you pick me up now?¡° May-fee did so. ¡°How are you talking?¡± May-fee asked. ¡°Are you a poltergeist? Earthbound spirit? Demon?¡° ¡°No, mama. I¡¯m still the same doll that comforted you in the darkness. It¡¯s just I can talk now.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you before?¡° ¡°I wasn¡¯t old enough, yet. This is my birthday. I¡¯m 100 years old.¡° ¡°So you came to life? This is so cool! I have to show Sara!¡± *** Sara was in her nightgown, brushing her long hair, when there was a knock on her door. ¡°Sara, are you still up? I want to show you something.¡± it was May-fee¡¯s voice. ¡°Just a minute.¡± May-fee¡¯s at my door? At night? She wants to show me something. Could it be? Is something about to happen? Do I want something to happen? ¡°Sara?¡± ¡°Almost ready.¡± Should I wear my robe? Should I be naked? What if she is? It¡¯s all so sudden. Screw it! I¡¯m fine like I am. Sara went to her door, opened it, and spread her arms to embrace May-fee. But, it wasn¡¯t May-fee¡¯s face that met her. Instead it was two button eyes and a tuft of yarn hair. ¡°Listen, listen! She can talk. Say something, Anna.¡± ¡°Mama!¡± Sara dropped her arms. ¡°Say something else.¡± ¡°Mama!¡± ¡°No, say something different. Tell Sara ¡®hello¡¯.¡± Sara¡¯s eyebrow began to twitch. This is what I got all worked up for? ¡°Hello!¡± ¡°See? See? Isn¡¯t it cool?¡° I¡¯m such an idiot. Sara closed the door on the pair. ¡°Go away!¡± May-fee, perplexed, looked at Anna. ¡°Was it something we said?¡± *** The next morning when Sara and May-fee began their commute to school, they were approached by two girls. They were twins, they were tall, and they had muscles to put most boys to shame. One wore a green tank top and the other wore blue. Their hair was up in ponytails, and they wore athletic pants. ¡°Ms. May-fee,¡° the girl in green started, ¡°I am Emma and this is Irma. We¡¯re on the girl¡¯s wrestling team.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been sent to escort you safely to school,¡± Irma said. Sara asked, ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Yesterday at lunch, Katherine threatened Ms. May-fee,¡° said Irma. ¡°She doesn¡¯t make idle threats. At least, that is what the president said,¡° Emma added. ¡°So here we are. Will you let us protect you?¡° ¡°Do what you want,¡° May-fee answered and started walking again, The two girls took position to the left and right of May-fee. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± Sara muttered. The four walked quietly, the twins scanning around for any threats. After a couple minutes, they were approaching a large tree by the sidewalk. When they were about 20 feet away, a boy jumped out from behind, holding a mighty soaker filled with a red substance. He immediately started shooting. ¡°Assassin!¡± Emma called out as she interposed her body between the red stream and May-fee. The red substance quickly covered Emma¡¯s face and chest. Irma made May-fee get down on the ground. After running out of ammo, the boy turned tail and ran. ¡°I know you!¡° Sara yelled. ¡°Run while you can!¡± The boy son was out of sight. Irma helped May-fee get up. Emma had fallen to her knees. ¡°It is an honor to die for you, Ms. May-fee!¡° She said before toppling over. ¡°Emma! No!¡± Irma cried before kneeling next to her sister and starting to sob. ¡°It¡¯s too soon!¡± May-fee stood over them. ¡°I shall scribe your name into the book of Valhalla!¡± she declared. Sara stuck her finger in the substance and smelled it. ¡°It¡¯s just pasta sauce, you dorks!¡± Emma sat up. ¡°I¡¯ve been revived!¡± Irma hugged her sister. ¡°You¡¯re OK!¡° Then she felt the sauce start to soak into her shirt. ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°You two are in no condition to go to school. You should go home and clean up.¡± Sara advised. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.¡°But our duty!¡± Emma objected. Sara pointed with her thumb at the baseball bat sticking out of her backpack. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± The sisters looked at each other and helped each other up. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s right. We foiled their plan,¡± Irma said. ¡°Ok, thanks, Sara.¡± Emma agreed and the two of them went on their way. Sara looked at May-fee. ¡°I¡¯m glad we got an early start today.¡° The rest of their commute was uneventful and they crossed the threshold of the classroom just as the first bell rang. ¡°Congratulations, you two.¡± Mr. Pliney commented as he applauded softly. ¡°Now, sit down, please.¡± Nicci gave May-fee a little wave as she sat down. ¡°We have a couple announcements before we get started. First, the End of Summer Invitational Dance is this Friday evening. Boys, you have until Thursday to make and deliver your invitations and cast your vote for Summer Queen in the office. Girls, make sure your locker name plates are in good shape, at least if you want to be invited. Friday morning, your votes will be tallied. The girl with the most will be crowned the Summer Queen at the dance.¡± ¡°One guess who that¡¯ll be,¡° one student muttered. ¡°Maybe not. I bet May-fee will give Kathy some competition,¡° said another. ¡°The second announcement...¡± ¡°Mama!¡± A voice interrupted the teacher. Mr Pliney turned around. ¡°Beg pardon?¡± He saw Anna sitting on his desk. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± There were a couple snickers in the class. May-fee looked at her bag, perplexed, but Anna wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your doll, Ms Ellis?¡± May-fee walked over to the desk to get Anna. ¡°How did you get up here?¡± she asked. ¡°I walked, mama.¡± There were some more chuckles and giggles. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go wandering off alone.¡± ¡°It was only a few feet, mama.¡± Mr Pliney cleared his throat. May-fee carried the doll back to her desk. ¡°Don¡¯t disrupt class, Anna¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line,¡° Mr Pliney interjected. ¡°Your vintriloquism is impressive, but save it for the talent show. That¡¯s the other announcement. The talent show is a week from Friday. Be sure to sign up at the cafeteria bulletin board if you want to compete. Any questions? No? Then open your textbooks to page 137.¡± *** Later, at lunch time, May-fee and Sara went to the cafeteria. A girl wearing an apron and carrying a basket stopped them. ¡°Hello, Ms May-fee. I¡¯m Connie. I represent the home-ec club and we prepared a special lunch for you! Will you do is the honor of accepting?¡± She held the basket out to May-fee. Sara watched quietly from the side. ¡°Sit with us, Connie,¡± May-fee invited. ¡°Re...really?¡± Connie blushed. ¡°Come on, you two.¡° May-fee led them to a nearby table. Taking a quick look around the cafeteria, she saw Nicci sitting alone at a corner table. ¡°Sit. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She walked over to Nicci, and without saying a word she picked up her tray, turned, and headed back to the first table. ¡°Hey!¡± Nicci protested. ¡°What are you doing?¡± May-fee set the tray opposite her place at the table. She smiled at Nicci, and pulled out the chair. ¡°Won¡¯t you join us?¡° Nicci hesitated, but finally stood up and went over. The four of them sat down. ¡°Let¡¯s see this special lunch,¡± May-fee said, opening the basket. There were two 6 inch deli sandwiches and some fresh baked cookies. ¡°Looks delicious!¡° May-fee broke the sandwiches in two and handed each girl one. There were conveniently 4 cookies, which she also divided up.¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡° May-fee declared. So they did. Sara watched this in silence, her heart beating a little faster when she looked at May-fee. The three looked happy eating together without saying much. When May-fee looked back, Sara quickly looked away, blushing. A few tables away, Katherine and her ¡®angels¡¯ were watching. ¡°Look at that slut. Making friends with losers.¡± ¡°How could she pick them over you? What a bitch.¡± Lori added. If May-fee heard them, she didn¡¯t let it show. *** Near to the end of the school day, there was an announcement over the p.a. for May-fee to go to the student counsel room. When she got there, she was met by a tall girl with voluminous blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a leather vest over a white tube top and leather pants and boots. ¡°May-fee, it¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. I¡¯m president Brittany of both the student council and your fan club.¡± ¡°There really is a fan club? So you¡¯re the one that sent Emma and Irma.¡± ¡°Correct! I heard Kathy had threatened you. She doesn¡¯t make idle threats.¡± ¡°So you think she sent that boy to sauce me?¡± ¡°I know so.¡± ¡°Well, thanks, I guess. But what do you want?¡° ¡°Straight to business, eh? You¡¯ve made quite a stir in the two days you¡¯ve been here. You¡¯re an influencer, and I like to befriend influencers. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be interested in joining the student council?¡° ¡°Not really.¡° ¡°It was worth a shot. Anyway, you¡¯ve polarized the student body by declaring war on Kathy.¡± ¡°All I did was say she is dumb.¡° ¡°Which embarrassed her. She¡¯s a spiteful girl. Has most everyone fooled, but I know her. She will keep trying until she gets even.¡° May-fee shrugged. ¡°Whatever. I can handle her.¡± ¡°She has allies, even among the teachers. I¡¯m just offering you the protection of the student council.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡° Brittany smiled. ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that, but would be remiss not to offer, as leader of your fan club and all. Well, just know you can request aid if you wish.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡° ¡°Yeah. You can go.¡° And May-fee did just that. She saw Sara at her locker. ¡°I¡¯ve got softball practice. You can come watch if you want.¡± ¡°Maybe next time,¡° May-fee replied. Sara looked a little disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the dorm later, then.¡° They parted, and May-fee slowly made her way outside through the people that wanted to chitchat with her. When she did get outside, she saw Nicci leaning against the building, smoking a cigarette. When Nicci saw her, she put out her cigarette and walked towards May-fee. ¡°Would you like to walk home with me?¡± Nicci asked. She seemed a little scared to ask, but did so anyway. ¡°Ok,¡± ¡°Cool.¡± They started walking. ¡°Um, about yesterday...¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± ¡°Thanks. Please do keep it a secret, though.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on that you have to hide?¡° ¡°I... don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡° ¡°Hm. Ok, then.¡± ¡°Thanks. So I heard you say you made your dress yourself?¡± ¡°Yep! Do you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very creative.¡± ¡°Do you like to sew?¡± ¡°Actually, yes, I do.¡± Nicci smiled a little. ¡°Did you make your dress?¡° ¡°Well, no. My mom did. But after she left... well...I altered it to fit me.¡± ¡°What do you like to make?¡° ¡°I have a lot of alone time at home, so I like knitting. I¡¯ll show you some of my stuff, sometime. If you¡¯re interested, I mean.¡° ¡°Sounds fun.¡° ¡°So ... I don¡¯t have many friends ...¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends now. We ate lunch together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really that easy?¡± She laughed awkwardly. ¡°Sure is.¡± ¡°You know, I really don¡¯t want to go home just yet. Would you have some tea with me? My treat. There¡¯s a cute caf¨¦ on the way.¡± May-fee agreed, and they were soon in front of the Celestial Percolator. The aroma of coffee wafted through an open window. There was a help wanted poster on the door. The two of them entered, sat down, and gave the waitress their orders. They continued to chat about sewing and their orders arrived. Before they took a sip though, Nicci¡¯s phone beeped. When she looked at it, the color drained from her face. ¡°I..I¡¯m sorry. I have to go. Please stay and enjoy your tea.¡± May-fee asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡° ¡°Nothing. Nothing. I just forgot about something important.¡± Her voice was wobbly and her body trembled. May-fee wasn¡¯t fooled, Something was very wrong. ¡°Nicci.,,¡± ¡°I¡¯m OK. Please, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Nicci put some money on the table then quickly left, her tea untouched. May-fee followed her out. Nicci was sprinting and already half a block away. May-fee ran, too, not letting her out of her sight. Nicci didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Something is wrong, mama,¡° Anna said. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m going to get to the bottom of it.¡± ***